Railway crosstie



Dec, 9 3 M. v. GEARON 2,336,608

RAILWAY CROSS-TIE 7.

Filed June 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l ara/* Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY CROSSTIE Michael V. Gearon, Chicago, 111.

Application June 27, 1942, Serial No. 448,715

7 Claims.

This invention relates -to improvements in railway cross-ties.

Fabricated railway ties of metal and other materials have been proposed heretofore but wood ties have been preferred generally, not only for reasons of initial cost but for the reason that the latter have superior ballast retaining properties. Wood ties possess a desired resiliency or cushioning characteristic that absorbs vibrations induced by passing trains and hence do not expel the supporting road bed ballast from beneath the same as readily as do less resilient fabricated ties and hence less tamping of the ballast under and around the wood ties has been required in maintaining the ties and rails properly supported. Where vibrations due to heaving trains are set up in non-resilient ties, the ballast is soon displaced from beneath the ties, leaving the ties supported by the rails rather than affording the intended support to the rails.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved fabricated metal cross-tie which may be constructed of suitable rust or corrosion resisting steel, for example, which possesses adequate strength yet afiords the desired cushioning action for long satisfactory use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabricated hollow metal cross-tie, constructed to provide desirable flexibility, which cushions the impacts imposed thereon by fast heavy trains and thereby avoids excessive ballast displacement from beneath and around the tie.

An additional object of the invention is to pro- I vide a hollow sheet metal tie which can be fabricated economically of parts which give resiliency to the tie and added strength for resisting crushing or permanent deformation of those portions beneath the rails which are subjected to the greatest loads.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hollow fabricated cross-tie having resilient end closure members which provide strength to the tie at the ends but which do not deprive the tie of the capacity to flex under heavy loads.

A further object of the invention is to provide end closures for hollow fabricated metal ties which can be removed when desired but which are self-latching in position in the tie ends and provide reinforcement for the ends.

Other objects of the invention relate to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accom panying drawings wherein:

additional- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a cross-tie embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tie shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an end closure member and reinforcing member;

Fig. 5 is a development of the tie body, or a sheet from which the body is rolled into tubular form;

Fig. 6 illustrates a spiral reinforcing member upon a forming mandrel;

Fig. '7 illustrates two reinforcing members reversely arranged upon a forming mandrel.

In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings the cross-tie shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises an outer casing or body preferably formed from a sheet indicated generally by the numeral l0 and shown in developed form in Fig. 5. The sheet If! is shown in Fig. 5 as comprising l2 contiguous integral sections indicated by the reference characters A to L, inclusive. Sections A to H, inclusive, and section K are plane while sections J and L are formed each with a longitudinal rib l3 and I4, respectively, while section I is formed with two such ribs l5. In forming the tie body the sheet is wrapped around a suitable mandrel, rectangular in cross-section, by any suitable wrapping mechanism (not shown) beginning with section A, which, in Fig. 3, is shown as constituting the inner layer or lamination of the base or bottom of the tie. The dotted lines It of Fig. 5 indicate the lines upon which the sheet is bent successively in forming the tubular tie'body, the sections A to H forming the two inner layers or laminations of the body. The sections E to H actually are" slightly wider than sections A to D, while sections I to L are slightly wider than sections E to H, the differences in width depending on the thickness of the sheet metal employed. However, inthe actual forming of the tie, the sections are not necessarily marked out-upon the sheet!!! as will be understood and are indicated in the drawings merely for facilitating description.

Sections I to L, when formed in final shape upon the mandrel, constitute respectively the four outer surfaces of the tie body, as illustrated in Fig. 2, section I being the lower surface, section K the upper surface, and sections J and L the vertical or sides of the tie. Section I, as stated, preferably is provided with two ribs or integral flanges l5 which, in use, extend downwardly while sections J and L have single ribs l3 and M, respectively, which extend horizontally from the vertical exterior tie walls. The ribs not only add to the tie body desirable resistance to excessive transverse flexing but constitute ballast retaining flanges. For instance, the flanges l5 retain ballast immediately beneath the tie and prevent or greatly impede the tendency of the ballast to be expelled from position beneath the tie by the vibrations set up by passing trains. Flanges or ribs I3 and 14 extend horizontally into the ballast that lies along the vertical walls of the tie and hence, by reason of the downward movements that occur as loads are imposed on the ties by passing trains, provide in effect a selftamping action that packs the ballast firmly at the base of the tie. Hence vertical movement of the tie caused by passing trains tends to build up a firmer subjacent support for the tie, thereby providing adequate support for the rails.

The tie body preferably is internally reinforced by one or more resilient spiral members I! or I! and I8 shown in Figs. 1, 6 and '7. These members are of sheet metal strip form, which may be shaped upon a mandrel such as is indicated at l9. The inner spiral member l'l may be employed as the sole inner reinforcing member if desired, although generally both members I! and I8 are desirable. Member I8 is wrapped in a reverse direction with respect to member IT as shown in Figs. 1 and '7. The spiral reinforcing members may be inserted in the tie body after the latter is formed but preferably for the purpose of insuring intimate supporting contact between the inner convolution of the tie body and the reinforcing member IT or members l1 and I8, the body is formed around the latter by means of any suitable forming mechanism. The ends of the members IT and I8 may be secured to the convolutions of the body by rivets 20 and 2|.

The members I! and ill give resilient internal support to the tie body as will be seen. The pitch or lead of the spiral of the members I! and [8 may be uniform throughout if desired, but it is preferred to reduce the lead at the portions of the reinforcements that lie beneath the rails, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 6 and 7. Such closer spacing of the convolutions further reinforces the tie body at those portions beneath the rails that are subjected to the greatest stresses but without depriving the body totally of its resiliency.

The rails, as shown in Fig. 1, may be secured to the tie body by any suitable means such as clamps 22 which may be bolted or riveted to the body.

For the purpose of further reinforcing the tie body, yet affording a desirable degree of flexibility to the structure for response to imposed compressive forces, end members of wedge-like character are provided which are indicated generally by the numeral 23. The members 23, one shown in position in each end of the tie in Fig. 1, preferably are forged of metal and are hollow to insure resiliency and reduce weight. Each wedge member is provided with. longitudinally disposed slots 24 along the vertical side walls, the slots terminating in enlargements 2. 1 at the outer ends thereof. The top and bottom walls of each member 23' are provided each with a longitudinally extending groove or channel 25, each of which. at the forward end terminates in a depression or socket 25*. A maul head or strike plate 26 preferably is provided on the upper outer edge of the member 23 while the lower forward edge is provided with a draw-bar hook 21.

The members 23 are designed to be driven into the ends of the tie bodies as illustrated in Fig. 1. The slots 24 not only afford vertical compressibility of the members 23 under imposed loads, but as the members are being pressed or driven into position the slots accommodate the tapered ends of the rivets 20 which seat within the enlargements 24 when the wedge member is in final position. The channels 25 likewise accommodate the ends of the rivets 2| which exert vertical compressive forces on the upper and lower portions of the wedges as the latter move inwardly toward final position, and in which position the ends of the rivets are received within the sockets or recesses 25 The maul plates 26 may be struck with a maul in driving the wedges into position while the hooks 2'! are useful when for any reason the wedges are to be withdrawn. Due to the seating of the rivet ends 2! within the recesses 25 the wedges are releasably latched in position in the ends of the tie body and not only do they contribute strength to resist crushing forces but, being spring-like in character, they do not prevent absolutely the response of the tie body to forces tending to compress the same. Thus the assembled tie, made up of individually resilient members, not only possesses strength to withstand the forces to which it is subjected, but provides a sufficiently cushion-like or resilient support for the rails as to inhibit excessive displacement of road-bed ballast during use.

The wedge or end closure members not only reinforc-e the extremities of the tie body but exclude free entrance of much foreign matter. For example, they prevent the free flow of water through the ties on banked turns of a track which would have a tendency to wash out the ballast at the lower ends of the ties.

The metals of which the portions of the improved cross-ties are made may be any that are suitable but preferably are characterized by adequate strength and resiliency and resistance to corrosion during use. Welding or riveting of parts may be utilized where desirable.

This invention is an improvement over the metal cross-tie shown in my Patent No. 1,590,235, granted June 29, 1926, and while I have shown the preferred features of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent that alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cross-tie comprising a resilient tubular body of sheet metal and a spiral reinforcing member therein contacting the inner wall thereof throughout the length of the latter.

2. A cross-tie comprising a resilient tubular body of sheet metal and a pair of concentric spiral members reversely arranged within said body in reinforcing contact with the inner walls thereof.

3. A cross-tie comprising a tubular body of sheet metal, and a spiral reinforcing member therein in supporting contact with the inner wall of the body, the lead of the convolutions of the spiral member being less at spaced portions of the tie corresponding approximately to the spacing between rails.

i. A cross-tie comprising a tubular body of resilient sheet metal and a cylindrical spiral reinforcing member corresponding to the body in cross-sectional shape and the successive convolutions of which contact the inner wall of the body.

5. A cross-tie comprising a resilient tubular metal body rectangular in cross-section and reiniorcing hollow rectangular end wedges of resilient material in the ends thereof, said wedges having slotted side Walls to provide for compression thereof under vertically directed load impacts.

6. A cross-ti comprising a resilient tubular metal body rectangular in cross-section, a cylindrical spiral reinforcing member within said body having successive convolutions in reinforcing contact with the interior thereof, and. resilient vertically compressible end wedges in the ends of said body cooperating with the ends of said spiral member in reinforcing the end portions of the body.

7. A or ss-tie comprising a resilient tubular metal body rectangular in cross-section and provided with a plurality of concentric integral convolutions, rivets passing through said convolutions adjacent the ends of the body and provided With inwardly projecting ends, and vertically compressible Wedges in the ends of said body provided with formations for engaging said rivet ends for releasably retaining the wedges in position Within the body.

MICHAEL V. GEARON. 

